Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
President challenges reports questioning effectiveness of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities
President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of major U.S. news outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, following their reports suggesting that recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were less effective than claimed.
Speaking at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump labeled these media organizations as "fake news" and accused them of undermining a significant military success.
The controversy centers around a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency assessment indicating that the June twenty-second strikes on Iran's nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—caused substantial damage to above-ground structures but failed to destroy underground facilities housing uranium-enriching centrifuges.
The report suggests that Iran's nuclear program may have only been delayed by a few months.
In response, Trump dismissed the intelligence findings as "fake news" and maintained that the strikes were a complete success.
He compared the impact of the airstrikes to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, stating that the operation had "ended the war" in a different way.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported Trump's assertions, describing the mission as a "spectacular military success" and asserting that the targeted sites were "completely and totally obliterated."
The administration's confrontational stance toward the media has been further exemplified by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who labeled the leaked report as "flat-out wrong" and accused the media of attempting to discredit the mission.
An investigation into the leak is reportedly underway, with officials suggesting political motivations behind the dissemination of the intelligence assessment.
The airstrikes, part of an operation dubbed "Midnight Hammer," involved the use of B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
While the immediate military objectives were declared achieved by the administration, the long-term impact on Iran's nuclear capabilities remains a subject of debate among experts and officials.
Speaking at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump labeled these media organizations as "fake news" and accused them of undermining a significant military success.
The controversy centers around a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency assessment indicating that the June twenty-second strikes on Iran's nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—caused substantial damage to above-ground structures but failed to destroy underground facilities housing uranium-enriching centrifuges.
The report suggests that Iran's nuclear program may have only been delayed by a few months.
In response, Trump dismissed the intelligence findings as "fake news" and maintained that the strikes were a complete success.
He compared the impact of the airstrikes to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, stating that the operation had "ended the war" in a different way.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth supported Trump's assertions, describing the mission as a "spectacular military success" and asserting that the targeted sites were "completely and totally obliterated."
The administration's confrontational stance toward the media has been further exemplified by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who labeled the leaked report as "flat-out wrong" and accused the media of attempting to discredit the mission.
An investigation into the leak is reportedly underway, with officials suggesting political motivations behind the dissemination of the intelligence assessment.
The airstrikes, part of an operation dubbed "Midnight Hammer," involved the use of B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
While the immediate military objectives were declared achieved by the administration, the long-term impact on Iran's nuclear capabilities remains a subject of debate among experts and officials.
